To: UK Government
Lower the State Retirement Age to 60 to Create Youth Jobs and Ensure Health Justice for All
We call on the government to lower the state retirement age to 60 for all UK citizens to tackle youth unemployment and ensure everyone can enjoy a healthy retirement.
Why is this important?
The planned rises in the state retirement age to 67 and 68 are completely out of touch with the reality of public health in the UK. Across the country, rising poverty, a strained healthcare system, and regional inequalities are causing healthy life expectancy to stall or drop. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that people in deprived areas can expect to live in good health only into their mid-50s.
This is no longer just a regional issue; as poverty spreads, even areas historically considered affluent are seeing health outcomes decline. Forcing people to work into their late 60s means many will spend their final years in sickness or pass away before ever reaching retirement.
This is no longer just a regional issue; as poverty spreads, even areas historically considered affluent are seeing health outcomes decline. Forcing people to work into their late 60s means many will spend their final years in sickness or pass away before ever reaching retirement.
Lowering the retirement age to 60 is a fair and practical solution to two major crises:
- Opening up the job market: Allowing older workers a well-deserved, earlier retirement immediately frees up entry-level positions, apprenticeships, and career pathways for young people struggling to find secure work.
- Securing health justice: It ensures that every working-class person, regardless of their postcode, has the chance to live a fulfilling, active, and enjoyable retirement before their health declines.
We urge the government to stop treating retirement as a luxury. Lower the state retirement age to 60, give our youth a future, and bring dignity back to the British workforce.
